Tobacco-package.



A. G. VALE.

TOBACCO PACKAGE.

APPLICATION HLEQ JUNE 19. 1917.

Patented Jan. 1,1918. I

STATES PaLrENT OFFICE.

ALFRED G. VALE, 0E YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB, IO THE AMERICAN TOBACCO COM- i PANY, OF'NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

'roBAcoo-rAoKaoE.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,AL1 RED G. VALE, l citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and use-' ful Improvements in Tobacco-Packages, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention re merchandise'and has particular application to the wrapping or enveloping of manufactured products, such as cigars or cigarettes vwhich are liable to be injuriously afi'ected inv constant handling or by atmospheric changes or conditions.

In the present instance, by way of illustration,.I have shown and described my invention as .employed in connection with the packaging of cigarettes, but I wish-it to.be understood that it is not limited in its useful application to this particular purpose, as it is available for the packaging of other articles and products.

Cigarettes are packaged for sale in the open market in various ways, such as in slide boxes, hinged card-board boxes and pouchlike envelops or wrappers. Under some conditions the last named manner of packaging the cigarettes is preferable, as for instance, where a relatively large number of cigarettes, for example twenty, constitute a;

pack, because under such circumstances the employment of a relatively large,- stifli', cumbersomeand expensive box is avoided and at the same time, the pouch-like package, owing to its "flexibility, may. be conveniently and comfortably carried about in the pocket. In addition, it also possesses certain advantages from the standpoint of cheapness of cost in production.

The usual-form of pouch package embraces a composite sheet of tinfoil and paper which is completely "folded.- or wrapped about the cigarettes, foil-sheet outward, and the cigarettes so wrapped are then inserted in afsmallpaper pouch or cup having a permanently open mouth, which leaves one end of the composite wrapper sheet exposed. The revenue stamp is then employed to seal .themouth of the package, one end portion of the stamp being attached to the paper pouch while the opposite end isfolded over and pasted to the adjacent portions of the composite wrapper sheet whichoverlie the top ends of the cigarettes.

ates to thepackaging of I 'mouth of the package has once been opened.

hold and section of the wrapper s Specification of Letters Patent; Patented J an. 1, 1918. Application filed June 19, 1917. SeriaI Iio. 175,609. I

There are certain disadvantages incident to the usual form of pouch-package, among which might be mentioned the liability of the pouch to crush or collapse under rough handling or undue pressure, thus causing the breaking or destruction of the cigarettes,-

and also the difficulty of keeping the cigarettes packed in orderly array after the This last disadvantage is due to the fact that when the revenue "stamp is once broken and the folds'or tucked-in portions of the. wrapper sheet at the mouth of the package opened outward to remove a cigarette, these folds cannot be readily restored to or maintained in their original position, for even if they be carefully pressed back tov overlie the ends of the cigarettes they will have a tendency to fly open again, thus exposing the cigarettes, and in many instances, permitting the latter to escape from the pouch. In fact, under some conditions of handling and subjection to ipressure,'the ordinary cigarette pouch when once opened loses all semblance to a pouch-like container and will break down to such an extent as to no longer adequately rotec't the cigarettes.

These disadvantages of the ordinary cigarette pouch now in use are entirely obviated by my invention, for I propose to package the cigarettes in such a manner and to provide such a pouch-like package that the cigarettes will not only be properly confined in orderly array Within the package until the last one is withdrawn therefrom, but they will also be protected and preserved from breakage due to the crushing or collapsing of the pouch;

Another purpose of my invention is to provide a pouch wherein the article, such as cigarettes, may be'removed singly through a relatively small opening made in the packageby rupturing, tearin or ripping a small heet, the major portion of the package being maintainedcomplete and in. closed condition so that in addition to avoiding the disarrangement and accidental escape of the cigarettes, the latter will also be protected from being afiected by atmospheric conditions and changes.

Furthermore in the use of my improved pouch, the liabllity of the fingers contacting with or .strikin cigarettes, other than the one which it is eslred to remove s obvlated,

and thus another factor to which the breakage of cigarettes in a. pack is commonly due is eliminate i a I also propose to provide a cigarette package of this type which will embrace the desired features of simplicity and efiiciency, coupled with economy of cost in production.

With the above recited objects and others of a .similar nature in View, my invention consists inthe construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims. 1

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a perspective view showing the initial step in the packaging of cigarettes, and illustrating the use of a card board, shell to confine the cigarettes.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the wrapper sheet adapted to envelop the partially formed package shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the package after the application and folding of the wrapper sheet of Fig. 2.-

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the complete package with the stamp acting as a seal for the mouth thereof.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the package after it has been ruptured or torn to permit the removal of the cigarettes.

Fig. 6 is a view of mouth end of a modified form of package showing the tearingsection of the Wrapper left free to form a grasping tab.

. Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, particularly to Fig. 1. the letter C indicates a plurality of cigarettes which are bunched or stacked as usual, and in the practice of my invention are first incased by a shell 1. This shell 1 may be made from any suitable material, such as tough,

durable paper, thin cardboard or the like, and in width is preferably less than the I been removed.

length of the cigarettes so that when the blank is wrapped about the latter as shown in Fig. 1, said cigarettes will project beyond one end of the shell formed by the blank. There a number of advantages obtainable through the use of rthis shell. For instance, in addition to confiningthe cigarettes .in orderly packed'relation, it prevents the and united to a thin sheet of paper. This wrapper sheet B adjacent at one longitudinal edge, or that edge of the sheet which is to be folded to-close the mouth of the package is scored, perforated or otherwise marked as at 2, to weaken the wrapper at this point so that the section of the wrapper bounded or inclosed by the marked lines may be grasped and readily torn or separated toform an opening in the top of the package through which the cigarettes may be removed. Such an openin is indicated by the numeral 3 in Fig. 5. instance thisdetachable or tearable section ofjthe blank, which is shown at 4, in Fig. 2, is in the nature of a small polygonal sec-' tion, one edge or side of which is formed by the edge of the sheet itself. While the configuration of the scoring of the wrapper sheet may be such as to produce an opening of any desired shape or form, I prefer to have the score lines form a polygonal tearing sectlon, as shown in Fig. 2, because a when the wrapper sheet is completely folded about the package, as shown in Fig. 3, or Fig. 6, the perforated lines 2 of this sheet will follow the converging edges of the interfolded portions and be so positioned as to mark out a tearing section which when removed, as shown in Fig. 5, will leave a triangular opening with the apex near the center of the top of the package. Thus the cigarettes may be easily removed through .the wide base portion of the triangular opening, guided by the adjacent end wall of the package, While at the same time no great amount of material is removed from the package top, so that the openingwillnot be of undue size. to close the inouth of the package, I first tuck in theend section 7 and then fold over the marginal portions of the meeting sections of the wrapper to form the side flap or fold 8, and then fold over the opposite n the present Y In the folding of the wrapper portion of the wrapper to form the other I side fold 9. The remaining end fold of the wrapper, indicated atlO, may now be folded inward over the side fold 9, as shown in Fig. 3, and fastened in place by the usual revenue stamp shown at S in Fig. 4, or, if desired, this end fold 10 may be. left free and bent crushing or collapsingof the complete pack- Idownwardagainstthe adjacent end wall of age under pressure or constant handling, and thereby obviates the liability of breaking or otherwise injuring the cigarettes. Furthermore, it assists in maintaining the neat block-like contour of the package even when most of the cigarettes in the pack have The partially formed pack shown in Fig. 1 is placed upon a wrapper, such as shown at B in Fig. 2. As is usual in pouch packages of this class, this wrapper of Fig. 2 is in the nature of a rectangular, composite sheet composed of a thin layer of tinfoil lined withthe package, as shown at .10 in Fig; 6. If-

the end fold 10 is sealed by the..revenue stamp, inopening the package, the thumb I may be inserted beneath one of the sides of.

the fold, as will be understood by referenceto Fig. 4:, and the'weakened section of the wrapper torn away to present the triangular opening,.as indicated in Fig. 5. If, how- I plied to seal the mouth of the package, the

latter will be completed and ready for the market. Of course in rupturing the wrapper sheet to form the opening for the removal of the cigarettes, the revenue stamp will also be torn or destroyed. It will be noted also that the opening will be formed in the top of the package adjacent one of the end walls of the latter and that the base line of the opening will be co-extensive with the top edge of this end wall, so that the end wall will not only form a guide for the removal of the cigarettes, but the top edge of the end wall even when the opening has been formed, will lie in substantially the saine plane with the other top marginal edges of the package, thus insuring that the neat appearance and contour of the package will be retained while preserving its side wall intact.

.It will further be understood that when the package has been wrapped as herein described, it will present a neat, block-like appearance with a readily discernible tearing section which may be quickly removed to permit the-withdrawal of the cigarettes, while the package or container itself is at all times maintained practically intact except for this opening. The result will be that the cigarettes will also be held in proper stacked or packed 'alinement, and when it is desired to remove a cigarette, after the first one has been taken out, it is only necessary to tilt the'package with the opening 3 downward so as to shake or remove a cigarette through the opening, while the remaining portion of the top of the wrapper, being left in its original folded condition, will form a wall to prevent the accidentalescape of the cigarettes, and this wall, bracin the entire ackag'e, will prevent the col apsing or fa ling apart of the wrap one particular embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to all the precise details herein set forth by way of illustration, as modification and variation may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or excee i pended claims.

What I claim is: 1. A wrapped package including a rectangular wrapper sheet of flexible pliable material having a continuous marginal edge provided with a plurality of interfolded portions normally closing an end of the per. While I have herein shown and described ng the scope of the appackage, and a seal overlying such closed end and maintaining certain of the interfolded portions intact, but leaving one of such interfolded portions free to provide a grasping and tearing tab located at an end edge of the package.

2. A wrapped package including a rectangular wrapper sheet of flexible pliable material havlng a continuous marginal edge provided with a plurality of interfolded portions normally closing an end of the package, and a seal overlying such closed end and maintaining certain of the interfolded portions intact, but leaving one of 1 such interfolded portions free to provide a grasping and tearing tab located at an end edge of the package, the material of the Wrapper sheet having weakened lines extending inwardly over a portion of the top of the Package from points at opposite sides of the tab, whereby said tab together with adjacent interfolded portions of the wrapper sheet lying within the confines of'the weakened lines may be readily torn away to rovide an openin at the end of the pac (age of less dlmenslons than the area of r the closed end.

3. A wrapped package including an inclosing wrapper of flexible, pliable material provided Wlth two pairs of oppositely arranged interfolded portions normally closing one end of the package, one pair of such interfolded portions being arranged at right angles to the other pair, one of the portions of one pair underlyin the two adjacent portions of the other pair and the other portion which is companion to or paired with the underlying portion, being free and constituting a means for tearing away an underlying partpf the wrapper to provide an opening thereln of less dlmensions than the area of the closed end for withdrawal of the contentsthereof.

4. A packageof merchandise having aninclosing wrapper sheet of flexible, pliable material, one end of which is provided with three superposed 'infolded portions completely closing an end of thepackage, two of said portions each having a converging edge adjacent one side wall of the package and the material of the wrapper at the wall opposite said side wall being folded to provide a substantially triangular grasping'portion to permit rupture of the wrapper along lines to provide an opening therein of less dimensions than the area of the closed end and through which the contents of the package may be withdrawn without .unfo ding,

' the folded ortions.

5. A pac age of merchandise havin an inclosing wrapper sheet of flexible, phable material, oneend of which is provided with,

three su erposed infolded portions completelyc osing an end of the package, two of said portions each having a converging edge adjacent one side wall of the package and the material of the wrapper at the wall opposite said side wall being folded to pro- V1 e a substantially triangular grasping ortion to permit rupture of the wrapper a ong lines to provide an opening therein of less dimensions than the area of the closed end and through which the contents of the package may be withdrawn without unfolding the folded portions, and a seal overlying such end of the package and maintaining the major portion of such end in closed relation after the openin has been formed.

6. A cigarette ac age including a shell of relatively sti material embracing the cigarettes of the package, said shell being of end for the acka e, a portion of said closed end being a apte to betorn away to form an. opening of less dimensions than the area of 25 such closed end, to permit the grasping of the ends of the cigarettes projecting beyond the shell and allow such cigarettes to be withdrawn from the package.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set so my hand. ALFRED G. VALE. 

